The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Interior paint color question

What color was used for inside the cab behind the seat and around the windows? This is for my 50 3100

On my 1950 3100 I found original interior brown color behind the seat.

Here is a pic of Dennys 1950 3600
Dennys interior pic

Also interior brown color, not body color.

Per your pic, I can't tell the color. Is there a name to your original brown?

Sorry
I do not know the offical name of the original brown I found in the cab.
...pic...

I linked Dennys pic because his cab is original.

In an earlier post it was called sun biege

Hopefully someone will chime in with the Offical color name for you.

The original Ditzler name means nothing today. But the PPG color library has what they call an offset color for the Ditzler color. That offset formula is PPG DBU #27467 and is about as close as you are going to get.
I believe it was Gus that mentioned Rustoleum 7272 in another thread. That is very close and if you look at the color chips here you can compaire the two: http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/123581933
The entire inside of the cab, the doors, window garnish, door openings, seat frame, behind the seat, floor, kick panels, dash were painted this color. The only other color in the cab was the steering wheel, mast jacket, shifter with the three speed only, four speed shifter was black and the highlights on the dash grill were an off color.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,
Thanks for the detailed reply. Yes I picked up some Rustoleum 7272, which is pretty darn close to what I've found in the cab.

Denny - would my 49' have the same color? I see a similar color like that in places. Were there no other interior color options?


https://picasaweb.google.com/113636046886857960240/Cab#5620852297363524466

It would appear this is a silver?

While my steering shaft is this...

https://picasaweb.google.com/113636046886857960240/Cab#5620852108416816850

Mark

Thanks - guess it won't be so simple. Especially with this Canadian truck

I don't think anyone knows absolutely for shure, but I've found that all the AD interiors in the states used that Sheen Gray Metallic color. Tim is the expert on the 54/551st. series trucks but I do know that the standard color was changed for these years.

DG

Denny,

That's what the information at the link I posted stated, Sheen Gray Metallic for various interior parts of 1950-1953 standard cab trucks. However, it is not clear from that Chevrolet bulletin what color the steering column was painted. It is interesting to read in that Service News entry that Metal Gray was supposedly used on some interior parts in 1950 and part of 1951.

Yes, there were several other interior color possibilities for 1954/55st standard cab trucks (all different from previous years).

Ah - you see I saw 50 - 53 and thought it wouldn't apply to my 49.

Trying to sort out most of the paints used and assembly procedures from plant to plant for me, has been like trying to put several 1,000 piece puzzles together with half the pieces missing from each.
We've discussed this many times here on the forum, that is, the fact that the procedures actually did vary from plant to plant. The car companies back then didn't have the QC labs and ISO 9000 like we do today. I believe that many parts, paints, procedures, items of hardware were most likely substituted often to keep the production line moving. If a batch of paint came in that was slightly off shade they surely wouldn't have shut down the Chevrolet Truck division till they got a new batch in the next day, I feel quite sure that they would run that batch that shift till the new batch came in.

As far as the "Metal Gray" notation goes, it's clear to me they were talking about the highlights that we see in every other bar of the radio/glove box grills. I've found that it's just a shade off of the interior color. It looks a little more silver to me.

The steering column color has been a thorn in my side for the past six years. I've spent hundreds of dollars on paint formulas and still can't get it perfect. And as far as finding an original paint number or chip I don't think they exist.

In the end, I doubt if 1 out of 1,000 would be able to tell whether you used Rustoleum 7272 for the interior or PPG DBU 27467 or if you by some stoke of magic were able to find a can of the original Ditzler 31104. To really see that different shades you need to compare them side by side.

The steering wheel/mast jacket color match that I came up with (not able to get a formula for it) is very close to the original color and in the truck you would be hard pressed to tell if it was off or not.

Mark, I’m no expert by any means but I’d bet a dollar to a donut that all the AD cabs used the same basic interior color from the get go till they came out with the 54’s. These were all work trucks and the public was starving for them for a decade after WWII ended so they didn’t have to offer color options as a selling point. By the mid 50’s there were more choices, Dodge, Ford and other manufactures were biting into the truck market so they were gearing up for change. That’s what sets the ’54-55 1st series trucks apart from all the rest, it was a transition year and because the interest in the old plain Jane post war trucks was falling off. The last of the AD’s was giving you a taste of what was to come in the Task Force series in ‘55.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

" . . . I’m no expert by any means but I’d bet a dollar to a donut that all the AD cabs used the same basic interior color from the get go till they came out with the 54’s . . . "

I do not gamble and I only make a bet when I know that I will win. I would not bet either a dollar or a donut on an answer to this question.

I have not owned a 1947-1953 standard cab truck (only a Panel truck). So, I have no experience with standard cab interior colors for those years.

Nonetheless, while trying to obtain information for the Paint Codes for Advance Design Trucks , I used several 1947-1955st Truck Data Books and as many DuPont and Ditzler(PPG) (and Acme, etc) paint sheets as I could find. Some of the interior color information in the Tech Tip needs to be updated/corrected.

In the 1947-1955st Truck Data Books that I have, there are three different interior paint codes/combinations for standard cab trucks. This does not prove anything, nor does it clarify anything. At best, that information shows how hard it is to obtain clear information from any sources.

As I look through the Stovebolt Tech Tip, I have trouble understanding what it is the color is being specified for.

For Ex: "Instrument panel on all but Suburban" Would this also be for all the trim as well? Or was the instrument panel special?

Thanks to a Canadian bolter who I reached by phone this week (googled his phone number!) I think I'm finally onto my interior color! Thanks Trihawk!

He scanned a book he had of colors and sent me some of the pages.

https://picasaweb.google.com/113636046886857960240/Cab#5639772460121519618

This is the first time I've seen the color code printed on my info plate (394) associated to a color. Grecian Grey, and Vista Grey Metallic.

It IS listed here http://1954advance-design.com/Web%20images/TDB-colors-pages/ but with a different trim number.

I've also been talking to two other members with Canadian trucks with the same trim code, and they both have the same interior.

Josh51_GMC's dash, original:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62172307@N06/6033689564/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62172307@N06/6033689548/in/photostream/

I'm stoked that I finally found a name to this color however, can anyone tell me what the (U) and (L) means in my new color listing photo?

Mark

Probably refers to two-tone: U=Upper color and L=Lower color.

There terminology for what the interior colors actually apply-to is terminology taken from DuPont or Ditzler(PPG) paint sheets or terminology taken from Truck Data Books (USA versions). The vagueness of these descriptions is one of the reasons many people are unsure what gets painted what color.

Upper and Lower would make sense - any idea where the "Lower" would begin? Everything below the dash?


I'm wondering now if I lightly sand off the brushed on paint on various parts, doors, dash etc if I can see the silver before hitting primer.

I think I might call up the local auto paint supplier in town as well and see if I can get it made with with the Delux code.

If you are referring to the link you posted above, I do not see "U" and "L" next to any interior paint codes (interior is indicated with a single asterisk after the code; a double asterisk after the code indicates station wagon). The "U" and "L" are all referring to exterior color combinations (I think).

Which color codes are you referring to?

https://picasaweb.google.com/113636046886857960240/Cab#5639772460121519618

Zoom in using the Mag. glass to see the (L) and (U)

If the U and P designators refer to both interior and exterior use of those colors, hope for someone with an original truck to post information on where the break is between upper and lower. That is, if indeed there is an upper and lower interior color.

Here is some 1953 Dupont truck interior color information that is linked-to in the Stovebolt Paint Colors Tech Tip.

Dupont did not put truck interior paint information in their 1952 paint sheets (and I have not see complete sets of 47-51 Dupont paint sheets).

The only other 50-53 interior color information that I have seen is in the Chevrolet Service News table which is at the bottom of the the link I posted above.

Hey guys, I think we're getting way off the track here. That color chart is for 1949-1952 Chevrolet colors which I interpret to be the passenger car colors. Those would have been in step with the exterior colors cuz Chevrolet was trying to please the ladies with an eye on design.
The color chart that you’ve posted from your site Tim clearly shows only one interior color for the all model trucks except Suburban, i .e. “Sheen Gray Metallic”.

The truck interior color choices would have been limited to the singe "Sheen Gray Metallic". Ditzler may have called it by one name, DuPont may have called it by their name and any other paint manufacturer would have had their own pet name for it.
When you hear it from the horsed mouth, that being PPG aka Ditzler aka Forbes their proprietary name for the interior color was "Sheen Gray Metallic" and that's what Chevrolet called it in their literature. The name may have changed over the years for reasons of sales hype but it all looks the same to me in every cab I've taken a close look at.


Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The three Canadian cab's I've seen don't look like that Sheen Gray metallic at all. And the parts on my cab that have been well sheltered from sun, show a bright Silver like Josh51_GMC's dash, and two other trucks.


I only wish there was high Canadian truck presence to verify this.

Surly there is a possibility that the Canooks could of done things different.